Machine for treating hides, skins, and leathers



p 20, 1932- M. MERRITT 1,878,420

KACH INE FOR TREATING RIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHERS' Filed Jan. 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

Sept.-20, 1932. M. M. MERRlTT 1,878,420

} MACHINE FOR TREATING HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHERS I Filed Jan. 3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /nvento so a relatively high level.

pieces of work in this machine may be 111-.

Cal

Patented Sept. 20, 1932 Umrsn; STATES PATENT orrics-li MATTHEW M. MERRI'IT, OF MIDDLETON, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIe on, BY" mnsNn As- SIGNMENTS, TO THE TANNING rnoosss COMPANY, or BOSTON, mssaonjusnrrs,

A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS MACHINE FOR TREATING HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHERS Application filed January 3, 1930. Serial No. 418,348.

comprised traveling or rotatable membersv carrying frames to which hides or skins were attached at their edges while being subjected to the act on of tanning agents. WVhile the work in these machines received more uniform treatmentthan was possible in drums it was at the sacrifice of quantity production ,9 and of speed in tanning. A machine which marks a dist nct advance over machines of the types referred to is that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,69 t,447,

granted Dec. 11, 1928, upon application ofv M. M. Merritt. In this machine a lengthy conveyor is provided, the numerous slats or cross bars of which are adapted to carry many pieces of work for treatment at the same'time, thus ma ntaining production at In order that the tro-duced, while in extended condition, into a tanning solution and subjected to mechanical treatment to hasten the tanning there- I of, without likelihood of injury to the delicate grain surfaces of the hides or skins, a

work supporting member or drum is pro-' vided between the upper and lower runs ofthe conveyor, the arrangement being such 40 that the pieces of work fold over the drum in superposed, overlapping relat on to each other and are carried downwardly in this overlapped condition upon the surface of.

flexed in passing around the cylindrical s'ur faceuof the work .supporting-memberor drum, thus facilitating the 'pen'etration of the tanning solution.

Objects of this invention are to improve generally tanning machines of; the types mentioned above and, more particularly, to improvelthe machine-of the patent to secure work :of better quality-than that .produced' heretofore by providing .for even more eflicient' and "carefulrhan'dling of the hides and skins during the tanning operatlon. J I h To these ends, and .in accordance with an important feature :of theinvention, means is 66 provided z-for controlling the relative positions of a conveyor and ofn work-supporting member or drum, to which the conveyor carries pieces of work, to causerelative vertical movement 'between'the pieces of work while is they are approaching the work: supporting member or drum at a time when .theyare hardly, if at all, in contact'with each other. Hence, any slipping or-overlapp'ing movement that occurs at thistime between adjacent hides or skins cannot causeinjury because of the lack of contact, or of contact under pressure, between the surfaces. of work pieces moving relatively to eachother. 'lVhen this relative movement'take's place before they come into contact with each other and'with the supporting surface "of-the supporting member or drum, the amount of'movement which takes place after coming into'contact with the supporting member i's lessenedby the amount of suchprior movement and is reduced to a' practical minimum; In the illustrated construction, the described -mean'sis embodied in guide members which serve to deflect the upper run of an endless: conveyor downwardly toward a drum or other work supporting member located-between the two runs of the conveyor and employed form- 'troducing-piecesof work in extended conin a horizontal direction before they contact with the work supporting drum or press upon each other, and in this way slipping of the pieces of work with respect to each other afterrtheyrcontact=with each other and with 3 therdrum is minimized as ran.- as practicable. In order to obviate possibility of injuryto hides or skins while they are coming off of the work supporting member or' drum ah'd I fstarting' along in the -directionof the "more or less straight path of the lower run of the conveyor, thiswportion of.the COHYBYOE aCl: jacent to the work supporting member in'the illustrated machine, isrdef lected; upwardly toward said member so that the hides or skins ends of a diameter substantially less than that of the median transverse diameter there of, whereby inclined supporting surfaces are provided on the upwardly facing portions of =.the work supporting-member.

7 'These and other features of the invention will now be described in detail and then pointed out more particularly in the append- }d'claims, j

: n; .t i g ig 1" is a topplan viewof a machine a. illustrating one. embodiment of the invention,

with portions broken away the better to dis- -close'other parts-within the machine, and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section follow azpath concentric with .respectfto' thewof tliermachine shownin Fig. 1.

1:: axis: of: the work supportingmember or drum In tiles illustrated machine, which is de- 'i-fOI a-zshflicientidistance 'tozinsure that-the; signedwespeciallyizfor th'ertanning of hides,

rear end portions of the hides or skins drop" away. from'l each other; and from the 5 lower -vthere is'provided a vat or'tank adapted to contain (a body of tanning liquid suitable .:side of tlfe'dnum and into. the 'tanninfg liquor forttheitanning' of hides or skinsx Preferin. thez insthisuway becoming free to (move without' friction in relation toeacln'other, beforeathe ionwardiends'of sthese-samevhides'or wablyeand'ms shown theivat'or' tank is provided with cover portions 12; ha'ving hinged I 3dO0IS 14BJ11dl16- locatedat opposite ends of xskins startuponthe more'or'lessstraighhpor-i the vatfi Within'thewat'there is mounted a tionv of theirrtraklel'with the lowerzrun: of the :1; aconveyorir-mechanism i comprising an endless conveyor;"Becauseof'this ari'angementthere' conveyor l8= consisting*'ofspaced sprocket is practically no relative slipping movement between the hides or skins fwhile' they are pressed firmly against each other fupon' the i curved- =lower portion of the work support-in g :-member"--or:drum.- Y v 5-: Hi-desiandt'skins as/cornmonl'y prepared: for

' tanning: areeirregulari in rcontour: ii-In other 5 words each hideor skinhas'projecting shank chains joined by slats or rods 22 which 'notonly'serveas'parts of -the conveyor but aselements to Which-the: hides or skins-may be' attachedf'Each'chain 20 comprises links 2-1,-having-=pivotal' connections 23 with each other; and each passes around a rear sprocket wheel- 24=anda front sprocket wheel 26; Both -"sprocket wh'eeIs 26 'are-carriedfixedly by a 7: portions and alsoi fother I projecting: portions" shaftr28i=which 'isjournaled in the side frames 'r ori-tabs :that tend to Jfold'a'u pon" themselves '-?when the hide or. skin is suspended, as forin ofthe vat .10.? The: sprockets 24,-:however, i are mounted.- independently of each other,

-stance,rfrom a'rslat'of ai'conveyor orwvliile -each spr'ocket being carried by 'a trunnion or a W) resting. in 'p'artover a cylindrical surface? If "stub-shaft 30moun ted in theadj acent frame a tabor' shank or-zother *proj'ectin'gportion be" w'ork'of the vat, so as to leave all of the space 1' allowed tobecome'wrin'kled'or folded'dur-ing the tanningoperatiom the wrinkles or folds 'r'thus produced are apt to'bepermanent'or're- (between the #two sprocket wheels" 24: unob- "structed; the purpose being to permit the "hidesorskins to hang freely between the .movable.only-withdiificulty in the succeeding sprocket-wheels 24 while being suspended finishing 'operationsiu-ponthe hides or skins.

r 'Hence', it is a:further?objectof"this-invention tominimize: the occurrence of such folding ortwrinkling'of the'proj'ecting poi'ltion sof the m" hidesior'skins.

s In order to obviate folding" ofshanks; tabsand 'othen projecting -portionsof the hides or skins rdurin'gap'assage over "a work supporting mem'beris'uch as.that/provided in 'conne'ction as iwith'theconveyor in the'illnstrated machine,-

Y'the surface'of the ilIustrated'WOr-k supporting rmember is curved in a direction lengthwise of r=the member sothat the shanks; tabs and other "projecting: -p ortio'n's tend to become; straightened' out in (extended 1 condition through the 'actionro'f" gravity thereonv'viihile they' are'rest- -.ing 'rupon'; inclined- "portions-'2 of the curved surfaceu In the illustrated "construction; the

-workt supporting member is shown as -a'bar rel-shaped :circula-r member hanringrboth= its cation.

As thehides-or skins are carried along with thenipper run of the conveyor,'they 'hang'zsuspended in spacedrelation to each other in': order that the: tanning liquid may mentioned inzthe' earlier partof this speciii-' drain from the surfaces-preparatory to anpass "over the drum in overlapped'relation,

in this way being-kept in fully-extended condition and gently-flexed as above escribed. Where the upper run of a conveyormachine. However, to minimize, as far as practicable this slipping of thehides or skins with respect to each other as they come intoextends in a substantially straight line or plane-between the frontand rear sprockets, there is a certain .amount of slipping of the hides or'skins relatively to each other during the first part oftheir folding over the drum. The amount of slipping is not great in amount and is not particularly;objectionable if the. hides or skins be given a.pre-- liminary tanning before .being placed in the contact with the drum athe upper run of the conveyor, in the illustrated machine, is deflected downwardly'as it approaches the drum. 1 This downward deflection of the conveyor positions this portion of the conveyor at an inclination away from thehorizontal and toward the vertical so that any given slator rod moving into this portion of the path of the conveyor moves: vertically with respect; to-both the preceding and the following rod or slat. At the-same time, the two last-mentioned slats or rods move closerto the plane passing vertically through the intermediate slat or rod. By reasonof this .fact the hides or .skins on. these slats-or rods are brought closer together and at the same time-'- moved in vertical 'directions'with respect to each other. Since, however, the hides or skins at this time are-not in contact-"with each other, or at least not pressing uponeach other, the relative vertical movement .be-'

tween the surfaces of adjacent hidesor skins has no effect, deleterious or otherwise, .al- 7 from round-bodied animals they do not he i though there might be an undesirable result if the surfaces, during such relative movement, were pressed firmly together as by the weight of a superposed mass of hides or skins. By having this relative-vertical movement between the hides or skins take place before they are in firm or pressing contact with each other, the amount of such relative movement which takes place :after the hides or skins become overlapped above the drum is reduced by theamount' of' such relative movement which takes placeas described before they come into pressing contact with:

each other. For deflecting the upper run of the conveyor downwardly toward the members 34 one at eachside 'ofthe-vat. These guide members 34 have theirlower edges cam skins,

drum? 32 there are provided two stationary guide '32. It will be understood that'the guide member 34 may be' provided with any well known anti-friction means such as rollers to lessen the amount of friction between the conveyor and the guide members. While the guide members at might be so shaped as to cause a greater deflection in the conveyor 20,

it has been found that the degree of deflection shown in'the illustrated machine accomplishes results sufficiently satisfactory and that as a result of'such deflection the slipping of the hides or skins relatively to each other is reduced to a practicable minimum.

As the hides or skins are being carried along by the conveyor'in overlapped relation upon the :lower portion of the drum 32, they tend to fall-away from the surface of the drum so that the amount of friction between the pieces of work due to relative slipping movement between the hides or skins is not marked, the

said slipping taking place as the conveyor starts away from the drum on its straight run. However, to minimize the amount of slippage, guidezmembers '36 are provided for deflecting the lower run of the conveyor upwardly toward the drum so that the hides or moving in concentric relation with the drum for-an additional distance, have dropped away completely from the drum before the said relative slipping movement takes place. Furthermore, the hides or skins areat thattime immersedand floating in the tanning liquid. For both of these reasons, any slipping movement between the pieces of work which takes place as the upwardly bowed conveyor leaves the-drum is so slight and under such lack of pressure that no deleterious effects are observable. The guide members 36 are stationary members fastened to the frame of the vat and providing cam shaped surfaces for contact with the ends of the slats or rods 22 to determine the path of the latter as they are leaving the drum 32.

Since both the hides and skins are obtained skin is irregular in-contour and has projectm shank portions, tabs and other projections which tend to fold upon themselves while the hide or skin ishanging. in suspended relation to its supporting slat or rod, of the conveyor. This tendency of the projecting portions to sag and, fold upon themselves is also noticeable while they are passing over a cylindrical surface such as that provided by the ordinary drum. To obviate this tendency which is more marked where the shank portions are longest, the drum 32 in the illustrated machine is made barrel-shaped, that is, with each end of a smaller diameter than the transverse median diameter. In other words, there isprovid'eda work support hav Y ing curvedi'sunfacesiwhich'are incliried .w'ith. .-respect to'; the longitudinal .axis' of 1 the work support: Ithasabeen foundsthat' as aresult of the action'of' gravity in connection with the inclined surfaces'oi the barrel-shaped drum,

A or skins ioldinguporr themselves is due to'the formation of wrinkles as theiresultof folding,-

. such wrinklesibeing then tanned in the hide nor-skim in such away as to-be more'o'r less permanent or-removable with difliculty in the finishing-i operations By providing means whichiihasotheieifect of lessening markedly -"-'porti0ns:to fold-upon themselves while on gathe work: supportathere has v-been'efi ected a 1 distinct improvement; in; machines designed i oforithe tanning of hides or. skins. iiI-n the OPGlfltlOIkiOfithB machine shown in ':thet:draw:ings,':th'e :hides: or: skins-travel along 5 with' the upp'er'frurrrof: the "conveyor in suspehddrcondition which'zpermits' drainage of thetannin'gliquid Irom themauntil they reach the drum'32l Here rtlieyrzfoldzupon the drum in overlappedrelation to each othr'being at aaztheesame'time gently flexedto.-assist in the penetration :of the tanning" liquid; Contin- -ued movementwvith-zthe conveyor finally lea ds zi-theoverlapp'ed zmassiof' hides or skins into T the tanningliquid in the lower-part'of the vat L3 where the hides or; skins'are; again immersed :aand carriedalongf on.-the.upper surface of the lower run :ofthe conveyor.-' :As they leave the I drum '32 theyisepanate from each other and afloat; ina-theztaimingiiquid which thus has a- 1 1; chance) to" act upon all. of the surface of the hides orrski'ns. :L-As'the hides'orskins reach thefront end'of :the-:vat,: they are gradually liftedup from'the'tanning solution and suspended to-drain with the surfaces of the-hides or- .skins spaced:- 1 at considerable distances from-each other. This operation of immersin'g thehides or: skins in the tanning liquid and then suspending them to drain only to be again immersed with gentle flexing of the in overlapped relation,'has result-ed in lessened possibilityof injury through friction between the various surfaces. Furthermore,

in the provision of the barrel-shaped drum. m there is less likelihood of any folding of the shanks or. other projecting portions of the hides or skins with the result that little or no wrinkles appear in these projecting portions.

Both of these features contribute materially 65 .claimvas new and desire tosec'ure byLetters Patent of the UnitedStates 1s: i3

siportedz'and do motrtend' to ifoldiupon them-:

selves. :The obj ec'tion to :portions of the hides to secure ia high qualityiof'product in a machine which is especially adapted to secure rapid tanning of the pieces oi work.

IHaving described my invention what I a 1. In a. machine/for treating hides and skins, a conveyor for supporting hides'or skins in suspended relation thereto,.means for movably supporting the conveyor, a work supporting member having; azcurved surface 75 located in the path of the hides orskins .suspended from the conveyor,xand means'constructed and arranged. to. determine the relative positions of'the conveyor and'of the curved surface'of the work-supporting mem ber to control the amount of overlapbetween adjacent pieces of work before they reach the tendency: of shanks. and 'other projecting. f

the work-supporting member.

2'. In a. machine for treating hides: and skins, an endless conveyor having a lower 35 run and'anupper'run, for supporting hides or skins insuspende'd relation to said upper run, a work-supporting member located'between; the; upper and lower-runs of the conveyor, rotary'membersat thefendS of the conveyorlforsupporting the same, the upper run of the conveyor being-arranged tounove the pieces of work toward and upon-the workber wherebyadjacent pieces of work as they enter the described inclined portion) of the conveyor shift vertically relatively to each other. I

3. In amachine for-treating hides-and skins, an endless conveyor havlng alower and an upper run for supporting hides or skins in suspended relation to said upper run, a work-supporting member locatedbetween the upper and lower runs'of the conveyor, rotary members at the ends of-the-conveyor for supporting the same, the conveyor-being 'arranged'to move the hides or skins-suspended trom the upper run toward and upon the work-supporting member, and means" 115 constructed and arranged to deflect the upper run of the conveyor-with respect to theworksupporting member as the conveyor -'''-approaches the work-supportingmember. j

In a machine-for treating hides and SklIlS, an endless conveyor having a lower and an upper runfor supporting hides or skins in suspended relation to said upper'run,

a' work-supporting member located between the upper and lower runs of-the conveyor i' the conveyor being arranged to movethe hides or skins suspended from the upper run toward and upon the work-supportingmemher, and means located above the-conveyors to deflect the upper run of the conveyor ili thereon being arranged to gtra e1 same,'a drumflocatedibetween the upperfand 'jupper run lower runs of the conveyor, the upper run of foif alo 5 lower runs, a member having a curved work;

porting surface.

a direction toward the work-supporting menrlower r uI is, rotary located atone end her as the conveyor approaches the work-f of the conveyor between the upper and Iower supporting member so that the pieces of work *ru'ns thereof, and guidemembers having a carried by the conveyor shift vertically"relpoitionlocatedabove the conveyortoI engage. "atively 5 to each other as they approach work-supporting member.

the theupper' run otthe conveyorto deflectit in a downward direction as it approaches the 5. In a machine for treating hides andf druihjso as toincr'ease the flapping" of the skins, an endless conveyor having upper andTfpiecs of w'ork'upon'eachotherand uponthe lower runs, members at the e'n'dsof the-con-drunis II I I I II I veyor for supporting the same, a rotarymem- J I04In ainachine for treating hides and her locatedbetween the upper and lowerlrun's skins, a vat" adapted to fcont 'ai n treating of the. conveyor, the upper run of the conhqnid, an'endless'co'nve'yor', rotary members veyor being arranged to have'pieces ofwork adj acent to each end or thefors upporting I suspended therefrom andt o move the 'neces" th"econveyor, the lattenhaving' upper and 5 of work toward and upon the rotary 'mem fllower runs Spa ced from. eachv other so ithat ber, and guide members arranged to"de'fiect"p1eces of 'vvbrk'siispended froinjtheupp'er run;

the upper run of the conveyor in a direction, cleaifth'ef pieces iofwork'resting'upon tlie lo wf toward the rotary member as thefconveyor "er"lun;' h 9 i 'a .Pi Q Y f Work approaches the member.-

II I I I f fthe'reon being arranged'to traVel in the-lowen 6. In a machineiffor tre ati ngu liides and jf pa r t ofthe"Iyat' fand"t o be covered by thef Skins, v ap e te n1 rea n liq t g qe ii efr t ryd f mi atedn uid, an endless conveyor ffor supporting genajern e ,cbhveyor'betweenthe upper and I piecesfof r a d ha mafipperien lewer i e uns namesa e guide members. 10- t lower part of the vat, andfto be I I I the treati g iq d, m m ers f e fjifi l t WR ends; of the conveyor for supporting ',thej ma 1ntain;thblpiecesoiwfik carriedby the lappin elease ha iw d the" conveyor having pieces of work fthe uppfif pended therefrom being arranged, to move -;lo

ame ialanaglalin ip a xi the pieces of work toward and upopthegy um, d de m m r i i e e estateme orw n ;upre 5n the upp rv yunx t o v y ma d rec mi l w-e13 tunes e ,we k-ee e t ea' mb r. c t

all lftofthe longitudinal edges thereof to bow the, drum he' Qeeif' Into? th conveyor wer leftgtp pl-i w a 3 h .0 eyer, met vnw e thedrun ilso as to tre ting hides, and

towardthe drumfis'the conveyor approaches edjhetweenftheupper: andlower runsfofthe the drum s'othat the pieces "off work 'ca rried fi-conveyolgahd ,mean; constructed; and are,:

by, the conveyor fshiftverticfallyrelatively td'ganged to: atermine relauye positions of; f

II each other as they approach the dr umitheref the conveyoriand oi theadbylesseningsubstantially such relative Shif 1 9 6. 1 lQW L Su a 9 t e W I' F PPP Q ing after these piecesof'work contact, with member tocont rol theamount of ,wrapping;

each otherand withthe drum.

of the pieces of work 'p nehe surfaceof said 7. In a ,machine for. treating rwork supportingmember in their movement skins,'an endless conveyor having uppe'r and,v around the work-supporting member.

I II 12. In a :nriac hine gto r treating hides and supporting surface andlocated atone made. skins, anendless conveyor having upper and the conveyor between the upper and lower- .lower runs, rotary members-atthe ends of-the runs thereof, and guide member s located lconveyor for supporting the same, a work-I. I above the conveyor and having a downward-g supporting-imember located between the upv 50 1y projecting portion to deflect the upper run per;andylower runsofrthe g conveyon the up-;

of the conveyor downwardly toward the. per-run-of-theqconveyorbeing arrangedto curved work-supporting surface to cause Ia 1nove pieces of work toward and-upon the.

substantial portion of the conveyor totravel 'fwork-sup'porting member, and means arin a path concentric to the curved work-superanged to positionthe lower run of the con- 8. In a machine for treating hidesiand I skins, an endless conveyor having upperfand the conveyor,;in, the portion thereof adjacent lower runs, a rotary drum located at one ,end, to the work-supporting member, inclines veyor. and the work-supporting memberrelat1velyto1each-other so that the lower-run-of o of the conveyor betweenthe upper and lower away from the horizontal and toward the ver 60 runs thereof, and guide members located tical.

above the conveyor and arranged 'to defi ectl," 13,..Inf for treating hides and the upper run of the conveyor with respect skins,avatadapted to contain treating liquid,

to the drum. I -...,an ,endless conveyor, having upper and lower 9. In a machine for treating hides and runs, the low'er run and pieces of workthereskins, an endless conveyor having upper and on being arranged to travel in the lower part supp-qrt' g a nveyqr,

f th tra r q eliyl membe s adiaee t tq t e endaogfi'theya for, a w rkeurp mg e l ppeaandelbw ri e qnv y t ,2 'p f i l t he yo b ne r ng d. ownie. piece 9 w t w nd up n the worku pert gfin m nd e ns n a p ,rt =p.;1' a lhl nitheiconveyorya d m ranged to position the lower run of the (19115" L y y r nd :the,wo ,k= ppp t gme b r lalfihrfl h t e. we n o rn the portiongthereof aeent the, eali eyo a;

toi fthe ,gwork-grlpporti hg, member, inclines away, 'froxh' theflhorizontal and towardrth'e, 15 V I itiFi v I I 7 ie m n p z uppbrtvin ithe same a Work; m a ed between the up- 1 1' ptt 'e @mm the upper;

and

diieet ion totyard the orksfi por:

theteont' eyor and of-the-work pieoes aboht; the work supporting member; 163-111 'a' machine for treating skins,

' '='--1oW'er runs, a r'otary drilm locatedbetween the upperar'lda lower runs ofthe "conveyor the upper rumof theeonveyor being arrange to' II I'O'VG the' pieces of Worktowardand "uponhides amme her locatedhetween;

tt un fl ee curved surface havr g g portlon me an end-lesjeonveyorhaving npper and .21. 'a 'machii ;ie'for I "skins, a'vat'ada'p'ted 'to "contain treating' 1iq-' "f skins,- a vat adapted -to contain treating 1iq'- A cated below the conveyor adj want; and par-f f eftheilqeg t aetPag t efa fleet-.the l ov ver r;.1;1 n of the conveyor in a :di': erection upwardly toward the drum thereby. g 1neI;easing- ,the= ;Wrap=; the conveyor and; of the work pieces-about the-drum.

:;' 18, In v a niaohine; for treating hides and- ;sk1ns, an endless conveyorhaving .npper and v 1ow e r runs :a drum located vat; one end of the conyeyorbetween the lipper and lower". runs i hereofa andm ai ssens mc e an a ra ed: to deflect. both,the ppper andrlower runsof the conveyor towardeach other to'oause.lap,

pingofthe :pieeesof Work over a considerzfloly greater portion ofthe periphery of m dium .1 hnyrould be the gas irthe, rimsflof thecon'e, iveyor were lefit "eaoh n defleoted in straight 1.180 r hne positionw, f

1n -a were;Willem he; I 51 21115, a, yat ,'adapted to ,eontai n treatingl l 'l q,

; u1d, an'endlese conveyor haymgmpper an 1,.r,om agh other so' that m lwgpipgih It ,l a onsldera lyfgreaterp r 5mg-niembei"thereloyinereasing'theWvra-pof offxvork'stipendedtherefrom and-ito mm the pieces over ea'idffourved 'surfa ee, agdf 4 linedto "the" long axis-"of the fwo'i k-lipporting meme benatone end thereofi-k and adapted to' 'mai'ntainfthe pieces of Work in extended ponditibnj while they are,bei-ng I lowered into *the treating liquid'in thelower- 12g part of the yat, said member having one end of, a diameter considerably smaller than that '0f the median transverse portion of the *member.v i 22. "In; a machine forftrea ting skins, an endless'eonveyor having-upper andv lower runs tdwhithpiedes ojwork maybe attached, "and a: 'movable me'mber between *the runs of the conveyor for supporting the :pieees of 'workin-extended oilerlapping' re. .13Q

I 110. treatlng hldes and arranged to travel in the lowhides and lation to each other while they are moving downwardly from the level of the upper run to that of the lower run of the conveyor, said movable member having its greatest diameter in the median transverse portion thereof and tapering toward each end.

23. In a machine for treating hides and skins, an endless conveyor having upper and lower runs to which pieces of work may be attached, and a drum located between the runs of the conveyor, adapted to have the pieces of work overlap upon a portion of the periphery thereof, and arranged to lower them in extended condition from the upper to the lower run of the conveyor, said drum having one end of a diameter considerably smaller than that of the median transverse portion of the drum.

24. In a machine for treat ng hides and skins, a vat adapted to contain treating liquid, an endless conveyor having upper and lower runs to which pieces of work may be attached, the lower run and pieces of work thereon being arranged to travel in the lowor part of the vat and to be covered by the treating liquid, and a drum between the runs of the conveyor for support ng the pieces of Work While they are moving downwardly into the liquid in the vat, said drum 89 having its greatest diameter in a median transverse portion thereof and tapering toward each end.

In test mony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. MATTHEW M. MERRITT. 

